By now the good people of Ruyang who aren’t living under rocks must be well acquainted with General Ling’s single-minded devotion to his future bride. Word surely must get around in a place where every day is a slow news day. His intentions towards her are shamelessly ostentatious to the extreme even in the local marketplace. And while the lady at the heart of his affections is self-conscious enough to look properly embarrassed by his overdone antics, the man who commands armies and tortures criminals in his dungeon is blissfully oblivious of how he comes across to lesser mortals. Not does he care it seems. He is and always has been in a league of his own.
Woohoo!!! I was wondering when you were going to post (there is no pressure of course), and here it is. LOL, Lily!!! “The man who commands armies and tortures criminals in his dungeon is blissfully oblivious of how he comes across to lesser mortals.” The way LBY is presented on screen really is magnificent and swoon worthy despite what Wu Lei says about LBY being a toxic person in some ways, and that he’d run away…but I can’t help but wonder how the source material of the novel was. I remember (please don’t quote me) someone posting maybe in the comment section on MDL that within the novel, you couldn’t quite tell who the male lead was. However, the show has gone with the big guns here to let us know each time LBY enters a scene.
Ah, the empress. I thought the same thing how they’ve really shoved it down our throats that the emperor and empress don’t love each other in such a romantic way, but there is constant consideration and respect. I couldn’t stop nodding when you pointed out what I thought as well, about how being a woman of the emperor mostly is not out of love, but some political exchange or one-night-stands if they’re consorts and concubines. Things really would have been malicious and awful in another tv harem, amen!
My friend and I always get into (fun) bickerings on Yuan Shen, with her defending him and saying how guys are more immature, but it isn’t a pass for me to be the “boy who pulls on a girl’s hair and is mean to her because he likes her” when they’re over 10 years old in my modern lens. LOL. It truly is ironic that he is besotted by a woman whose deep affections could never be his in the same way.
Okay, I felt a bit of a whiplash with the Cheng family being wrapped up in the scheme of embezzlement and defection. I wonder how they’ll pan this out with the episodes ahead.
I have to thank you so much too on explaining the way the emperor dishes out punishment here against the Cheng family, because I totally forgot that this is harder for him to deal with considering the implications for his goal of reforming talent and positions based on merit. It WAS a major disappointment of his punishment to Marquis Yue in comparison to the Cheng family, but your explanation made me see it differently.
On sweeter things, I am also here gushing over the scenes of Zisheng riding in with such grace and glory on the tall, black stallion. They really went all out there too with the score, the spectacular use of sunlight and shadow against his silhouette on his armour and mandarin duck wings. I loveee the scene where Zisheng, this great general, gets down from his horse to go to his fiancée and holds her hands, talking about letting him do the needlework in the future. The hilarious exchange that ensued was so perfect, but so was the conversation and all the emotions displayed across the faces of our leads. I am still gushing!
I don’t know how I am going to survive the next two weeks with all its angst, but I am glad I get to be a part of your journey in this place and time in hearing your thoughts. I am super anxious as it is, but your words and thoughts have also helped soothe thoughts and they’re a balm for my heart going through this drama. Thank you, Lily! “See” you again soon!
Even if guys are immature they're not that immature at the age of 21. Maybe things have changed a lot since I was 18. I didn't know any males in my cohort at university that was anything like Yuan Shen. He's pretty much a fictional character that fulfills a trope. In some modern rom com he would fit right in as the male lead.
Interesting comment about how the show is making it obvious who the endgame is. It's probably like the various adaptations of Far From the Madding Crowd. In the novel it's also less obvious who the male lead is because the focus is primarily on Bathsheba but the different adaptations take different slants on her relationships with the respective men. I really liked the most recent one and I usually root for Gabriel Oak anyway.
I'm so glad that I can serve as a sounding board. In all my years I've been watching K dramas that I often find myself at odds with popular or majority opinion in more angsty portions of the shows. This is why I'm not really keen on being spoilt about the reasons leading to the separation. I suspect that I will take a different view on things which is why I'm trying not to be unduly influenced. Which is tough... trying to avoid spoiler landmines.
YES! Thank you, about the guys not being that immature at 21, otherwise we do have serious problems.
I have never heard of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, but I am going to look up this after my comment to you.
Awww, I think there's something unique about being able to see things that are different from the majority or popular opinion. For example for me, so many people absolutely love the drama, GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD, and STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON...hailing them as some of the greats, but there are majorrrr issues with the drama for me.
I hope you're doing what you can to avoid the spoiler landmines. It truly is a lot harder in this day and age with the internet and information at the tips of our fingers.
I've found that reading recap and commentary of dramas increases my pleasure (and my understanding of some cultural background), however your prose is truly on another level.
I am besotted. (picture me with a beaming smile similar to Zhao Lu Si's)
Love like the galaxie is my first costume cdrama. Thus some tropes feel fresh to my green eyes. Nevertheless this drama seems to benefit from good production. And now from your entancing observations.
Woohoo!!! I was wondering when you were going to post (there is no pressure of course), and here it is. LOL, Lily!!! “The man who commands armies and tortures criminals in his dungeon is blissfully oblivious of how he comes across to lesser mortals.” The way LBY is presented on screen really is magnificent and swoon worthy despite what Wu Lei says about LBY being a toxic person in some ways, and that he’d run away…but I can’t help but wonder how the source material of the novel was. I remember (please don’t quote me) someone posting maybe in the comment section on MDL that within the novel, you couldn’t quite tell who the male lead was. However, the show has gone with the big guns here to let us know each time LBY enters a scene.
Ah, the empress. I thought the same thing how they’ve really shoved it down our throats that the emperor and empress don’t love each other in such a romantic way, but there is constant consideration and respect. I couldn’t stop nodding when you pointed out what I thought as well, about how being a woman of the emperor mostly is not out of love, but some political exchange or one-night-stands if they’re consorts and concubines. Things really would have been malicious and awful in another tv harem, amen!
My friend and I always get into (fun) bickerings on Yuan Shen, with her defending him and saying how guys are more immature, but it isn’t a pass for me to be the “boy who pulls on a girl’s hair and is mean to her because he likes her” when they’re over 10 years old in my modern lens. LOL. It truly is ironic that he is besotted by a woman whose deep affections could never be his in the same way.
Okay, I felt a bit of a whiplash with the Cheng family being wrapped up in the scheme of embezzlement and defection. I wonder how they’ll pan this out with the episodes ahead.
I have to thank you so much too on explaining the way the emperor dishes out punishment here against the Cheng family, because I totally forgot that this is harder for him to deal with considering the implications for his goal of reforming talent and positions based on merit. It WAS a major disappointment of his punishment to Marquis Yue in comparison to the Cheng family, but your explanation made me see it differently.
On sweeter things, I am also here gushing over the scenes of Zisheng riding in with such grace and glory on the tall, black stallion. They really went all out there too with the score, the spectacular use of sunlight and shadow against his silhouette on his armour and mandarin duck wings. I loveee the scene where Zisheng, this great general, gets down from his horse to go to his fiancée and holds her hands, talking about letting him do the needlework in the future. The hilarious exchange that ensued was so perfect, but so was the conversation and all the emotions displayed across the faces of our leads. I am still gushing!
I don’t know how I am going to survive the next two weeks with all its angst, but I am glad I get to be a part of your journey in this place and time in hearing your thoughts. I am super anxious as it is, but your words and thoughts have also helped soothe thoughts and they’re a balm for my heart going through this drama. Thank you, Lily! “See” you again soon!
Even if guys are immature they're not that immature at the age of 21. Maybe things have changed a lot since I was 18. I didn't know any males in my cohort at university that was anything like Yuan Shen. He's pretty much a fictional character that fulfills a trope. In some modern rom com he would fit right in as the male lead.
Interesting comment about how the show is making it obvious who the endgame is. It's probably like the various adaptations of Far From the Madding Crowd. In the novel it's also less obvious who the male lead is because the focus is primarily on Bathsheba but the different adaptations take different slants on her relationships with the respective men. I really liked the most recent one and I usually root for Gabriel Oak anyway.
I'm so glad that I can serve as a sounding board. In all my years I've been watching K dramas that I often find myself at odds with popular or majority opinion in more angsty portions of the shows. This is why I'm not really keen on being spoilt about the reasons leading to the separation. I suspect that I will take a different view on things which is why I'm trying not to be unduly influenced. Which is tough... trying to avoid spoiler landmines.
YES! Thank you, about the guys not being that immature at 21, otherwise we do have serious problems.
I have never heard of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, but I am going to look up this after my comment to you.
Awww, I think there's something unique about being able to see things that are different from the majority or popular opinion. For example for me, so many people absolutely love the drama, GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD, and STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON...hailing them as some of the greats, but there are majorrrr issues with the drama for me.
I hope you're doing what you can to avoid the spoiler landmines. It truly is a lot harder in this day and age with the internet and information at the tips of our fingers.
Take care, Lily. See you next time!
Thanks a lot for your writing.
Your articles are delightful.
I've found that reading recap and commentary of dramas increases my pleasure (and my understanding of some cultural background), however your prose is truly on another level.
I am besotted. (picture me with a beaming smile similar to Zhao Lu Si's)
Love like the galaxie is my first costume cdrama. Thus some tropes feel fresh to my green eyes. Nevertheless this drama seems to benefit from good production. And now from your entancing observations.
Wow. Thank you for making my morning. High praise indeed.
Well, you made my day, it's only natural to reciprocate.